Starlight: Goodnight
by Team GEMINI
Summary: Stargazing with the family is always a nice way to spend the evening, but only if your entire family is under the same sky to watch it.


Starlight: Good Night

By Team GEMINI

* * *

I looked up at the big night sky and gasped. The stars were beautiful, and even though they were so far away, they still shined so brightly. My teacher said that stars are really distant suns, and that the reason we can see them is because they're shiny. Auntie Hayate says that my teacher is a doo-doo head that doesn't know anything… but her definition of a star is a little… Auntie Hayate-ish. Vita says that I should never go against Auntie Hayate's words or else I'll face the kon-seh-koo-when-says. I don't know what she means by that, but I do enjoy the pretty things Auntie Hayate makes me wear.

"Kokoro, get that firefly out of your mouth right this instant young lady!" Mama screeches.

I looked over to my Mama and my sisters and giggled. My younger sister Kokoro ran around with her cheeks puffed out, glowing a bright yellow, while my Mama ran after her leaving my youngest sister behind.

"Kokoro, I am serious!" Mama shouted. "If your papa hears about this, you are in big trouble!"

And then it struck me. The reason why we were out stargazing was to look out for Papa's warship when it flew by our house. It's been a while since Papa's ship departed; I still remember being taken aboard on a tour. Papa carried me in her arms, so I wouldn't get lost or hurt.

"Mama, what does Daddy's boat look like?" Kiseki asked her timid voice barely above a weak mumble.

Mama stopped chasing Kokoro and looked back. She took a moment to recall the ship's appearance (she had only seen it once from afar). "Well… it's big."

"I can only guess…" Kiseki replied sarcastically.

"It's black with a big pink heart."

Kiseki quirked her eyebrow and pointed over to the East. "Like that one?" she asked with a rather disinterested tone. "And why is there a heart on it?"

"You can blame your Auntie Hayate for that one—and… crap." Mama face palmed and sighed. "So much for that."

"You think Papa saw us from way up high?" Kiseki asked, her expression barely showing any interest.

I looked at my sister and gasped. She was never much of a talker, and whenever she did speak, it was usually a sarcastic remark, or a swift "shut up".

"Honestly?" Mama shook her head and sat down on the grass. "I don't know, but I hope so. I really do."

Kokoro stopped her running and opened her mouth; the firefly trapped flew out hastily.

"Ew." Mama, Kiseki and I said at the same time. We were all equally disturbed by the sight.

"That's Papa's ship?" Kokoro asked with her mouth wide open. Mama nodded her head and pointed at it with a sad little smile. She began to tremble in excitement just before dashing down the lawn and hopping onto the bench to get a better look at the ship. "Come back home soon, Papa!" Kokoro yelled at the top of her lungs as she waved her hands in the air. "We're waiting for you, so hurry back!"

I looked up at my mama and saw the small smile she had on her face. "Come back here, you might fall." She said with a tender voice. "You don't want Papa to be worried about you when she comes back now do you?"

"No!" Kokoro yelped as she jumped off of the bench and ran back into Mama's arms.

"That's a good girl." Mama said, patting Kokoro on the head. "How about we all go inside and make some hot chocolate before bed time?"

I nodded in my head, but changed my mind before we got up. "How about we make the hot chocolate first and then come back… the stars look really pretty tonight." I suggested.

"And plus… we might as well enjoy being under the same sky as Daddy while we still can." Kiseki added quietly as she played with a ladybug on the blade of grass she held between her fingers.

"Un, I guess we can do that. But I better not hear anything close to 'I'm still sleepy, Mommy' tomorrow morning, okay?" Mama said, giving into our demands.

"Roger, White Devil!" Kokoro saluted before squirming out of Mama's arms.

"I am… never letting Hayate-chan babysit you guys anymore." Mama sighed with a lopsided grin.


End file.
